Tifton's Agriculture Seed Lab Expanding

The Georgia Department of Agriculture will break ground on the Tifton Agriculture Lab at 3150 US HWY 42 South. The project will consolidate the state’s agricultural seed labs while also expanding to include labs for fuels testing and weights and measures testing.

“Commissioner Tommy Irvin has been integral to this process that will significantly increase our capability to continue to provide Georgia with safe and secure food, fuel and fiber. This will be a boost for rural Georgia and will consolidate many of our state agricultural labs in Tifton,” said Bill Boone, Special Project Coordinator for the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

The expansion will be on the south end of the existing lab, where the Tifton Farmers Market was once housed and the former Farmers Market building will be leveled. The expansion itself will be over 23,00 square feet while a new facility to house the fuels and measures laboratory will be over 25,000. According to Mark McMillian, the Agriculture Manager for the Tifton Laboratory, said the project will allow for more efficiency.

The expansion will bring approximately 25 jobs to Tift County according to Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce CEOBrad Day and that’s just the start.

“Tift County prides itself as being at the forefront of agricultural research and development and this expansion fits in perfectly to that profile,” Day said. " We know that this will bring more focus and attention to our county and we believe the result of that could be more jobs down the line."

Congrats to the Tifton Agricultural Seed Laboratory on the upcoming expansion.